bow tie

American  

[boh] / boʊ /

noun

• bow ties
  plural

1. a small necktie tied in a bow at the collar.

2. a sweet roll or Danish pastry having a shape similar to that of a bow tie or butterfly.

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bow tie British  

/ bəʊ /

noun

1. a man's tie tied in a bow, now chiefly in plain black for formal evening wear

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bow ties
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bow tie

First recorded in 1910–15

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bow tie

The only thing missing, really, was my nervous waiter in the bow tie.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

Taylor, our cheery guide, met us wearing a short-sleeved button-down shirt and a bow tie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

"I learned to tie a bow tie by watching a tutorial on YouTube," says Crawford.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

Dressed in a red bow tie and holding a poster reading "I want to get married", Bazhanov caught the eye of the longtime ruler and got his chance.

From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025

He wears an apricot bow tie which, by my estimation, makes him very approachable.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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